The MPA Program allows students to transfer course credit into the program in accordance with the Graduate School Policy on Transfer of Credit. A maximum of nine (9) graduate level, credit hours of course work can be transferred in from other accredited institutions. This course work can count towards core or elective credit. If students are eligible to apply for transfer credits, students should submit this application during the first term of the program

In order for a course to be considered for transfer credit into the program, the following guidelines apply:

• Grades earned on transferred work must be equivalent to B or better (B- is not equivalent to B).
• Courses taken on a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis may not be included in transfer credit.
• Credit hours earned on transferred work will not be greater than the earned credit hours reflected on the official transcript. If necessary, earned credit hours will be converted to semester hours before posting as transferred credit hours. The academic program has discretion to allow fewer hours.
• Transferred credit will not be included in the program residence credit calculation.

A student does not have to replace transferred course hours with alternative credits. Transferred hours are subtracted from the total (45) hours needed for the MPA degree. In general, the MPA Program allows a course to be transferred in when it aligns with the program’s competencies and educational goals of the student.

To apply to transfer in a course, the student must submit the following to Elizabeth Langefeld (online or on-campus contact) via this survey:

• What credit is being considered (university, documenting grades, what type of credit, etc)
• A syllabus or other appropriate documentation from the course (NOTE: a full syllabus is often necessary if the credit is being considered for core course credit); and
• An unofficial transcript noting earned credit for the course (grades earned on course waivers must be equivalent to B or better and prior coursework on a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis is not acceptable). Official transcripts must be submitted directly to gradadmissions@unc.edu.

**Please note: if requesting credit from more than one institution, please fill out a separate survey for each school.**

The director of the MPA program will consider transfer requests. If the request appears to be justified as elective credit, the director makes a positive recommendation to The Graduate School that credit be approved. If the course is being requested as core credit then the request must be reviewed and approved by the lead faculty member for that course. In this case, a full syllabus is often needed to determine that the course closely reflects the core course taught in the Carolina MPA Program. Once approved by the lead faculty member, the director makes a positive recommendation to The Graduate School that credit be approved.

The requirements of the portfolio are communicated to the student when a core course is transferred in, ensuring that the necessary appendices are obtained from other courses to complete the thesis substitute.